Is Tracker worth it?

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tco21

Cynical Grinch
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Is Tracker or Netstar worth it? I know it drops your insurance premiums but paying about 400 a month for Tracker Alert and Tracker Recover is still a significant sum of money every month. How easy is it to steal a car with a Tracker, or more importantly, how easy is it to recover one?
 
I've got the R99 option from netstar, which is covered by insurance discount. If it can help to catch a thief, I think it is worth the money. Don't think it will make the car anymore difficult to steal, but a little more difficult not to get caught.
 
tco21 said:
Doesn't answer either of the questions.
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the thing is any car can be stolen if the guy stealing it knows how to whether it has a tracker or not

i am not sure on recovery rate on the expensive options but for insurance the cheapest option should be fine
 
I don't want the car back if stolen. Just the thought that a possible murderer was inside my car makes me sick.
And the car might have some parts stripped of it.
 
Tracker is worth is purely for claiming back the km's from SARS. I am on Hollard's Pay-as-you-Drive and that includes Tracker for free.
 
I avoid them as much as I can...

My dad had to fit one to receive cover and they dont mind when he crosses the borders, no phone calls or anything.
 
That sucks. In terms of the criminals getting caught, I doubt anything would help. Girlfriend's car was stolen recently and the cops weren't even interested in video evidence from an adjacent block of flats. No piece of technology can override apathy.
 
tco21 said:
Is Tracker or Netstar worth it? I know it drops your insurance premiums but paying about 400 a month for Tracker Alert and Tracker Recover is still a significant sum of money every month. How easy is it to steal a car with a Tracker, or more importantly, how easy is it to recover one?
Click to expand...

I would not get one unless it was a specific requirement of insurance. The reason being that if my car gets stolen, I sure as hell don't want it back. Ever hear of the expression "Drive it like you stole it"... ;)
 
I figure if your insurance premium doesn't drop by the same amount that the tracker is costing then it's not really worth it. Last time I checked it was R80/mo for the tracker and the premium dropped about R12. I'd imagine on a 500k+ car it would be more worth it.
 
rorz0r said:
I figure if your insurance premium doesn't drop by the same amount that the tracker is costing then it's not really worth it. Last time I checked it was R80/mo for the tracker and the premium dropped about R12. I'd imagine on a 500k+ car it would be more worth it.
Click to expand...

damn yeah thats no savings

for me unfortunately every insurer wants a tracker on a golf mk1

yet my car is only driven like twice a week
 
1) Being in the Insurance industry for almost 30 yrs and in resent times with the tracking requirement and the losses paid vs the stats given I don't believe the recovery stats anyhow. I receive the better Insurers stats every month and way way off from the 99% recovery rate professed by some/most tracking companies (they include fools forgetting where they parked the car etc to boost the stats for eg)

2) It might help if you/family are taken with the car

3) You don't have a huge excess if car is stolen (some Insurers add 10% to the basic excess if no tracking, basic could be 5% of claim minimum R2000 = total excess 15% of claim minimum R2500 and 15% of a R300 000 car is R45K!) Some insurers don't give cover without.

4) Mostly discounts cover tracking costs on higher value vehicles (Ave discount where no tracking is a requirement 15% of premium)

5) I would go for a entry level tracking system a few mentioned and also look into Beame R79 p.m. +-

6) Get your broker to advise and shop for you that is what they earn comm for. If you don't have a broker - get one.
 
samr1wp said:
damn yeah thats no savings

for me unfortunately every insurer wants a tracker on a golf mk1

yet my car is only driven like twice a week
Click to expand...

but its sitting at your house all the time....

Why not check out those pay as you drive premiums.
 
If my car gets stolen, i never ever want it recovered..
 
I have one and have not used it yet, only reason I got it was because the insurer (Miway) demanded it. Got a reduced rate that was R80pm afaik on 3 year contract but then a year later it shot up to R108... thieves themselves.. Also you need to test the thing every 6 months and they don't remind you. I'd hate to try claim if you haven't tested it in the last 6 months, they will probably they get out of paying.
 
I'd say NO.

Payments.
I haven't seen a case where paying for a tracker+insurance is less than just paying full insurance, generally seems to even out.
Insurance brokers you can work your payments down after time, tracker payments will inevitably go up.

Liability.
When I read the insurance contract it stated that I had to do tracker tests, had to make sure it was working etc etc etc. If the car got stolen and the tracker wasn't working then the insurance wouldn't pay this and that.
No tracker, no checks, no ways out for insurance.

Real case scenario.
Car get stolen with tracker, car gets recovered next day, I'm stuck with it and who knows what they did with it, how it was driven. Because it was stolen, it gets a CODE 3 status, you try sell or insure a CODE 3 vehicle and lots of people are going to laugh at you.
Cars get stolen without tracker, insurance pays or replaces with new car.
 
Wont it only be coded if the company does the paperwork to deregister it etc? Agree with you on the rest of the stuff though. Even if they pay for repairs it still wont be the same.
 
From what i've heard, any stolen car thats recovered is coded, I had a kadett that was stolen and returned, code 3!

But thats as far as I know, not an expert! But hey, no tracker and less chance of having to find out anyway!
 
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